Sunday, May 2, 2010

The Saga of Kayak Jack



Intro
My tall tale for today takes on a little lighter tack from my normal fare. This is the true embellished story of how Jo and I got our first pet cat as a young married couple more than 20 years ago.

Shortly after arriving home with the newest member of the family we started writing a letter to our good friends, Steve and Ellen Hingle, about how Jack joined the family. The letter turned into the story we call "The Saga of Kayak Jack!" I present it here today for your enjoyment...




Once upon a time Dave took his little boo rabbit (Jo Lynn) and Miss Sadie La’beau Dog to Merritt’s Mill Pond to try out their new kayaks. The place they wanted to launch their kayaks was closed, so they searched and searched for access to the clear waters of the mill pond. Finally, a lonely dirt road led to a desolate spot on the water’s edge. Privacy at last! Amongst one of nature’s prettiest spots. Crystal clear water speckled with cypress trees. But! On the ground, prowling around was Kayak Jack! Can you imagine that?

Now Jack thought Miss Sadie La’beau Dog was his mother. He wanted little boo rabbit to be his mother. “Would someone please be my mommy”, thought Jack. Well Dave looked at Jack and said, “Ignore that thing! Cause we sure don’t need none of that.” Jack said, “rats…”

Then Dave carried the kayaks to the water side and loaded his little boo rabbit into one and himself into the other. And, Miss Dog mounted up on the back of Dave’s kayak. But, there was Jack with no one looking back, as the coterie of kayakers headed out into the depths of the Mill pond.


Dave and Miss Sadie La’beau Dog on one kayak and the little boo rabbit with the other, but not that ole Jack.

There was Jack, left all alone once again. His newly acquired family was abandoning him. Well, ole Jack said to himself, “I don’t want to be left again.” So, boldly Jack dove in. In hot pursuit of those yellow kayaks was Jack. Barely big enough to be a tidbit for a large bass, Jack swam for those kayaks. Now that ain’t so strange, except Kayak Jack is a little bitty kitty cat. Can you imagine that? A swimming cat!

Well, boo rabbit spied that little swimming kayak Jack and said, “Look at that!” Dave said, “Hum! That little cat is liable to become a snack!” Dave didn’t want to imagine that even though he didn’t want that little kitty cat. So to shore he paddled, and saw that Jack the cat made it back. Then once again out into the water the coterie of kayakers headed. Dave and Miss Sadie La’beau Dog with one kayak and the little boo rabbit with the other, but not that ole Jack cat.

Well Jack sat on the shore look’n like a drenched rat as those yellow kayaks disappeared into the vast mill pond. All of his dreams were once again going down the drain. Jack was still an abandoned cat. “What can I do?” thought Jack, “What can I do?” The coterie of kayakers paddled around for quite a while having a ball while Jack was left wondering, “What can I do?”

After a considerable length of time Dave decided he would like to practice some Eskimo rescues. But, he would have to let Miss Dog off on the shore to watch as he flipped his boat and the little boo rabbit paddled in to rescue the overturned kayaker. So, to the put in spot they paddled; Dave and Miss Sadie La’beau Dog with one kayak and the little boo rabbit in the other.

Now at the put in spot the little boo rabbit stayed out in the deep as Dave and Miss Dog braved the cypress tree and cypress stump hazards paddling to the shore. On the shore there was no sign of that little kitty cat. “Whew!” thought Dave, “Glad that cat decided to hit the road; that ole Jack cat.” Well, for Dave out of sight was out of mind. But, Jo Lynn (the little boo rabbit) sitting out in the water in her yellow kayak could hear that ole cat. But, where was he?

Little Jack the abandoned cat wondering, “What can I do, what can I do?” said, “I ain’t accept’n that!” as he watched those yellow kayaks disappear out into the pond. He said, “I too can KAYAK!” So, that little Jack cat once again dove into the water in hot pursuit of those yellow kayaks.

And he swam, and he swam, and he swam. The water was clear, cool, and deep. A few fish could be seen swimming around. “Good thing there are no large bass nearby.” thought Kayak Jack’s guardian angel. “What am I going to do with this little Jack cat?”

Jack was beginning to realize that he just wasn’t equipped like those ole kayaks. The pond was big, REAL BIG, especially when you’re just a pint sized cat. Jack swam on in search of those yellow kayaks. But, the immensity of the pond was taking its toll on Jack.

Soon”, thought Jack, “if I don’t turn back, I’ll no longer be able to capture bugs by the water side, and those old bugs will feast on me. And, that must never be!” So Kayak Jack decided he’d hang up his white water hat and he headed back. But on the way back, little Jack realized that his energy was sapped. Kayaking takes a lot out of you when you’re an abandoned kitty cat.

Little Jack continued on for the shore, but his swimming was not only becoming a bore, but a real chore as his little muscles tired. No one had told little Kayak Jack that little bitty kitty cats were not supposed to swim like that.

Jack was beginning to have visions of giant bugs stalking him in a swamp, and the shore began to look farther and farther away for that little jack cat as fatigue attacked that little swimming Kayak Jack.

Now the little boo rabbit in her shiny new yellow kayak about 50 feet or so from shore could hear a faint meow. But, where was that little Jack cat? All around the water and shore she gazed, but Kayak Jack could not be spotted.

Dave had dropped off Miss Sadie La’beau Dog and was back in his kayak heading out into the pond.

Meanwhile, Kayak Jack was recovering from his visions of giant bugs as he sat still an abandoned cat, now a castaway on a deserted island.

Strange island you little cat, Kayak Jack.

It seemed just as fatigue was about to overwhelm Kayak Jack, he swam into the base of a cypress tree. There he clung for what seemed an eternity until he caught his breath. “Whew!” thought Jack, “that was close!” When Jack had caught his breath he decided he wanted to be away from this water which was beginning to feel cold, so up that cypress tree scampered Kayak jack.

From his perch high above the water Jack cried, “Here I am, here I am… meow, meow.” as he watched those yellow kayaks drifting below. “I know I’m an abandoned kitty cat” thought Jack, “But please, I need ya’ll. I’m getting tired of those old bugs and kayaking looks like so much fun.”

As Jack thought those thoughts and cried, “here I am, here I am… meow, meow.” The little boo rabbit finally looked up and spied that cat perched on a limb high above the water looking like a drenched rat. Little boo rabbit said, “Look!” Dave looked up and said, “Can you imagine that, that silly cat!” Dave considered in his heart the effort that little cat had exerted to join them. He thought of Sadie Dog riding on his kayak and his little boo rabbit with nothing like that. So, he looked at JoLynn and said, “Would you like a cat?” JoLynn smiled and said, “Yea, especially on like that!” So, Kayak Jack found a home, if you can imagine that!

Now, Kayak Jack is a country cat. How about that!

The End

Here is an old photo from way back then at our country home in Newton Alabama, where Cai was born, of the original Kayak Jack, Sadie Dog, myself and Jo with Joanna in the cooker...

Kayak Jack and family

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